416 rigby

[cheaplaughs]

Hey guys,I reloaded some 416 rigby awhile back. Now knowing a little more I realize I crunched the case abit. They still chamber but I'm wondering if they would be safe to use. Maybe it would be like fire forming them again. Any thoughts ??

 

[snoopycda]

As long as they headspace correctly, are you shooting a Mauser, say CZ 550 or some other CRF rifle?

 

[cheaplaughs]

Cz 550

 

[Chinbullco]

What do you mean "crunched the case"?

 

[cheaplaughs]

when i seated the bullet i had the die too low.this caused the shoulder to be compressed.the 416 has a small shoulder but its smaller now.

 

[A-zone]

If you've set the shoulder back, I'd be concerned about the round headspacing properly.

It may be best if you simply pulled the bullets from the affected rounds, and fire-formed them so they are "back to normal". Then, load them without setting back the shoulder. (It's a simple fix that will allow you to avoid more serious grief).

when i seated the bullet i had the die too low.this caused the shoulder to be compressed.the 416 has a small shoulder but its smaller now.

 

[cheaplaughs]

heres

a pic

 

[cheaplaughs]

the two rnds in the middle are reloads.

 

[A-zone]

FWIW, they're pooched. The shoulders are set back. Pull them, discard the brass or salvage the brass by fire-forming (tiny load of pistol powder under a case filled with corn meal or cream of wheat). That gets the case back to proper chamber dimensions. Then start over.

If you shoot them in your rifle without proper shoulder support you risk a case failure (potentially catastrophic).

There's a very simple fix, so shooting them "as is" is simply not worth the risk.

Just my two cents worth.

 

[cheaplaughs]

there's about 15thou difference.

 

[cheaplaughs]

thanks i'll do that

 

[A-zone]

For future reference, when you are adjusting your sizing die, lock it 2 or 3 mm forward of the shoulder (i.e. "don't let it touch the shoulder"). That way you will guarantee a properly chambering round.

By all means test the resized brass for proper chambering in your rifle before proceeding to charging them. It can be tricky to get them to feed in a true mauser action, but it can be worth the time.

Similarly, when you are setting the seating depth on your bullet seating die, take a resized case and run it to the top of the ram, then screw the bullet seating die in place (with the bullet seating stem backed off). You will immediately know when the die has made contact with your case. Back the die off a couple of turns, then lock it. If you have a dummy round available, run it to the top and use it to adjust the depth of the bullet seating stem. Some fine-tuning is usually required, but at least it will get you very close.

It's a very simple problem and an easy fix.

 

[snoopycda]

heres

a pic

If they chamber they will fire form. the CRF will keep them tight enough. The rounds have to come out of the magazine and engage the extractor while chambering. Use those two for zeroing or load testing.

The method for adjusting the seating die, i use, is to pull the ram all the way to the top an screw in the die to within about 1/8" of the shell holder. Seat your first bullet and check for over-all length.
Adjust the top accordingly (using the same cartridge) until the bullet is seated to correct length without the roll crimp coming into play. Be gentle at the end of the stroke, feeling for any change in resistance.
If you need a crimp (and you might with the 416) get a different die, such as the Lee Factory Crimp die, for your crimping.

 

[cheaplaughs]

i fire formed with cream of wheat over 5grns of accurate #2.worked great thanks for the tips.